Exercise, Performance, and Health Optimization

Do you want to help people improve their health or performance? Our exercise, performance, and health optimization master’s degree will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and experience to be an allied health professional. Our curriculum provides you with current information and novel intervention strategies. This prepares you to assume leadership roles in the field of health promotion and performance optimization.

Major areas of study include energy expenditure, exercise psychology, and behavioral fitness. You will learn research methods and techniques, as well as how to work with special populations. You will gain hands-on experience and master your skill throughout your internship, and you will learn how to change behaviors and environments to improve the health and wellness of all people.

This master’s program prepares you to work in commercial settings, cardiac rehabilitation, corporate fitness, and more.

Degree Overview

We offer thesis and a non-thesis options for this masters degree.

Coursework — 33 hours minimum

Exercise, performance, and health optimization courses — 27 hours
Internship — 1 to 5 hours
Advisor-approved courses — 1 to 5 hours
Research and thesis — 6 hours (Required for thesis option)

Admission

Prerequisite

Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university

Application Deadlines

Applications and all other relevant material must be received by the Graduate School by the following dates:
- February 1 for Graduate Assistantships (completed online with your graduate school application)
- May 1 for Fall semester start (August)
- April 1 for International applicants for Fall semester start (August)

Admission Requirements

GRADUATE SCHOOL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

For the admission process, you will need to provide the following in your application to the Graduate School:

Three letters of recommendation that address professional and academic qualifications (submitted through Graduate School online application)
Official transcript
Application fee payment

International applicants must also submit:

TOEFL or IELTS test
Medical insurance plan and an Official Statement of Financing

SCHOOL OF KINESIOLOGY ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Letter of Intent describing why you want to obtain a graduate degree in kinesiology
Resume, submitted with letter of intent
Approval from the School of Kinesiology Director and Graduate Program Officer

Although we only require a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university, we strongly recommend that our graduate students, who have not completed undergraduate degrees in kinesiology or other related fields, complete undergraduate coursework in exercise physiology, biomechanics, and motor learning prior to starting a graduate degree program in Kinesiology.

Additionally, basic science courses are the foundation of the Kinesiology academic discipline and we suggest securing this knowledge prior to starting our program.

Ready to join the Auburn Family?

Visit Auburn’s Graduate School homepage for checklists, resources, valuable graduate student information and to begin your application. Please contact department faculty listed above with program-specific questions.

Graduate School